The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to hire temporary nonimmigrant workers for specialty occupations. Specialty occupations are defined as occupations requiring the application of a "body of highly... more +

The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to hire temporary nonimmigrant workers for specialty occupations. Specialty occupations are defined as occupations requiring the application of a "body of highly specialized knowledge and the attainment of at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent." Examples of specialty occupations include chemistry, mathematics, engineering, medicine, and architecture, to name a few. Individuals may not apply for H-1B visas; they are distributed only through the approval of employer petitions. In order to protect U.S. workers from unfair competition resulting from the program, the rules require that employers pay nonimmigrant workers equivalent wages to similarly-situated U.S. workers or the industry's prevailing wage. H-1B visas are subject to a yearly cap which is currently set at 85,000. less -

I. H-1B Nonimmigrant Season Opens on April 1, 2014, for Fiscal Year 2015 -
As most H-1B employers know, there is an annual quota on the number of new H-1B petitions that can be approved each federal fiscal year. The...more

?New Form I-9 -
As of May 7, 2012, the old Form I-9 is obsolete and the new form must be down-loaded from www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf?. Use of the old form is unacceptable. If Immigration Customs and Enforcement...more

In the February/March 2013 issue of the Immigration eAuthority, we outlined the respective proposals for immigration reform put forward by both the President and a bipartisan group of eight senators. We also noted that...more

In 2007, when a bipartisan group of senators and then President Bush tried to pass major immigration reform legislation, vocal opposition to the effort doomed the bill and any real attempt at reform since. The 2012 election...more

The prospect of comprehensive immigration reform appears to be gaining momentum. In January, a bipartisan group of eight senators announced a broad proposal for immigration reform (“Bipartisan Framework for Comprehensive...more

President Obama mentioned comprehensive immigration reform as a priority in his acceptance speech. The President has pledged to act quickly on the issue of reform, with the expectation that “…we get [an immigration] bill...more